Surviving the Suffering Economy

Have you ever looked at your bank account and asked yourself, where did the money go? In this time of seriously being broke, day-to-day living starts to get depressing. Going out to splurge on a pair of shoes or a handbag seems to be a thing of the past. Everybody is strapped for cash and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better anytime soon.

My husband and I have found ways to trim the money fat and still not get depressed over it. We’ve sacrificed eating out for lunch during the workweek in order to go out to dinner and a movie. Its worth the wait! We realized that we could easily spend $75-125 a week just on lunches. Every now and then, we still go out with the boys or the girlfriends. This was a change, especially for us. Packing your lunch seemed so elementary, but in this day, its really the best way to save your funds. Just a simple sandwich or dinner leftovers make for a great lunch and keeps your dollars in your wallet. Plus, you don’t have to expend gas to go out!

Going green in your cleaning routine may be a helpful solution for those willing to try something different. Cleaning products are no doubt pricey, but going back to basics may help. All cleaning agents are originally made from a few general ingredients: baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar. Try using just baking soda with a tad of water for cleaning your bathtub/shower, stovetop and anything else that holds grime. I’ve found that it helps those surfaces sparkle. Plus, its environmentally-friendly. I recently bought a 12 lb. bag of baking soda from Sam’s Club for just under $4. My close friend told me that you can also wash your clothes in straight baking soda – which I plan to do when I run out of the 144 load bottle of $28 Tide.

There are many budget tips and tricks, you just have to be willing to make changes and sacrifices. Our rule is that we eat dinner at home every night unless we go out with friends or a date. This way, its way worth it to spend time with people and its more special. Rules help us keep boundaries in our financial limits, otherwise if it were up to me, we would always get take-out. Besides the money, I also think about the amount of waste from take-out. Compared to eating at home, the only thing I actually throw into the trash are polystyrene trays, plastic wrap and any seasoning packets. Everything else, cans and boxes, gets recycled or reused.

I believe going green helps to save some green. I don’t think I’ve changed who I am, just have a different outlook and a conscience effort doing my part. Conscience efforts make all the difference.